


don't wait (just let your heart speak)

by StryderMel



Category: K-pop, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Hate Speech, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Neighbors, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 12:04:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17324669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StryderMel/pseuds/StryderMel
Summary: It all started with a group chat. Chan was sure that his crush on his internet friend would surely go away at some point -- that was until the tenants moved in next door...Or the one where even fate is so fed up with Minchan's incapability to find happiness, that it decides to take matters into its own hands.





	1. prologue

Chan had his head leaned against the cold train window. His eyes were closed, the earbuds in his ears playing the newest k-pop song by an idol group whose name he couldn’t remember.

He was tired – even more than tired, he was exhausted. It was currently 8:27 pm and he just got off work, planning to return home and throw himself onto his bed. Chan wondered if his roommates were home already. They should be by now. But who really ever knew what’s happening in Jisung’s head, and who could ever find Changbin when he went out to get groceries? More often than not he would end up going shopping for new clothes while he was at it.

Chan was deep in thought when suddenly his phone vibrated in his hands – not once, not twice – four times in a row. Opening his eyes, he unlocked his phone, raising an eyebrow when he found messages waiting for him in the group chat “we b gay”, conveniently named by the one who was responsible for all the messages; Lee Minho. Chan couldn’t help the smile that immediately overcame his face; Minho just had that kind of effect on him.

 

 

> min ❤  
>  HEY GUYS
> 
> min ❤  
>  *GAYS
> 
> min ❤  
>  GUESS WHAT
> 
> min ❤  
>  IS ANYONE THERE??????

 

But before Chan could answer, another message came in.

 

 

> min ❤  
>  CHAN I KNOW YOU’RE OFF WORK ALREADY  
>  I HAVE YOUR SCHEDULE RIGHT HERE ON MY  
>  WALL YOU BETTER ANSWER YOU LIL SHIT

 

The smile never left Chan’s face – hell, he couldn’t even be mad at Minho for not using honorifics. _That’s_ how whipped he was for him.

 

 

> You  
>  I’m here, calm down!
> 
> You  
>  What do you need?
> 
> min ❤  
>  WE GOT THE APARTMENT!!!!

 

Chan remembered why that was such a big deal. Minho had wanted to leave home for a while now. He was a working man who made his own money and his parents weren’t very supportive of his ‘life-choices’, as Minho said they stated. He also wanted to move closer to the city, closer to his work space. And then there were his two friends, Felix and Hyunjin, who went to the university downtown. Currently they had a long way each morning to get there, but moving would make lots of things easier.

Chan didn’t know much about the two, just what Minho told him. All three of them were part of a dance crew that eventually broke apart when everyone left but them. They stayed close and decided to move together a few months ago. Felix was an Australian – just like Chan – who still had some problems with Korean, but came here to study. Minho would always describe him as a ‘total crack-head’ like he wasn’t the biggest crack-head of them all.

Hyunjin on the other hand was a bit quieter. He supposedly helped Felix a lot with Korean, since he used to live in America for a bit when he was younger. Chan had never seen pictures of them, but Minho had assured him that Hyunjin was a good-looking dude.

Glancing around once to make sure he won’t miss his stop, Chan started writing a reply:

 

 

> You  
>  Oh my god, min!!
> 
> You  
>  That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!
> 
> min ❤  
>  hhhhhhhhh
> 
> min ❤  
>  thank you hyung~
> 
> min ❤  
>  finally I can be gay in peaceeeee
> 
> woooooj B  
>  minho-yah please remember that you’ll have two  
>  children living with you
> 
> min ❤  
>  yeeeees moooooom
> 
> You  
>  yah he’s a dad
> 
> min ❤  
>  yeeeeees daaaad and other daaaaad

 

Now, did Chan hate it that Minho called him dad?

Yes. Yes, he did hate it, very much.

Would he tell Minho that he hated it?

Nope. No way in hell.

 

 

> woooooj B  
>  You little punk
> 
> woooooj B  
>  Be happy that I can’t strangle you.

 

Woojin was the third addition to their little group chat. He lived somewhere at the edge of Seoul with his parents, his little brother Seungmin and their cousin Jeongin, whom they took care of because his parents were in Busan.

Woojin was the oldest of them and the conscience of the group. He was currently also the only one who knew about Chan’s insane crush on Lee Minho.

 

 

> min ❤  
>  I am! Oh so very happy!
> 
> min ❤  
>  Chan-hyuuuuung~

 

Fuck his heart for skipping a beat.

 

>  
> 
> You  
>  What do you want?
> 
> min ❤  
>  oof so cold ;;;;
> 
> min ❤  
>  do you think that we could meet up once I’m living  
>  close to the downtown too????

 

Oh yeah. That was also a thing. Chan lived close to downtown as well. Because all three of them were so spread out throughout Seoul, they never even thought about meeting up. They only sent each other selcas and video-chatted on random occasions.

Just the thought of meeting Minho face to face made Chan’s stomach tingle.

 

 

> You  
>  Uh
> 
> You  
>  I mean, sure? If you want to?
> 
> min ❤  
>  yessss I want to ;;;
> 
> min ❤  
>  I bet you can’t wait to see my pretty face in person!

 

Correct.

 

 

> You  
>  Yeah right, you wish.
> 
> woooooj B  
>  👀
> 
> You  
>  Oh shut your trap
> 
> min ❤  
>  lmaoooo I bet woojin-hyung would love to see  
>  my face ♥
> 
> woooooj B  
>  I wouldn’t go that far…
> 
> min ❤  
>  RUDE
> 
> min ❤  
>  MY HYUNGS ARE RUDE

 

Just then Chan’s stop came up, so he quickly put the phone back into his pocket and exited the train quickly.

It was cold out, so he made bigger steps than usual, hoping to get home before the snow decided to make an appearance.

Once he got to the building, he climbed up the stairs, coming to a stand in front of his apartment. But before opening the door, he turned around, looking at the door that lead to the apartment opposite of his. It’s been empty for a week now, someone would move in soon. All in all, it was fairly cheap for such a good and calm neighborhood and could house up to three people. It would be taken quickly, most likely by some university students.

Chan sighed, shrugging before he entered the apartment.

Hopefully he would get along with the new tenants.


	2. my heart is wearing thin

Chan was sprawled out on the couch, phone in his hands, the TV playing something he took no real notice of.

It was a nice, peaceful Sunday, the only day of the week where he could actually just take a breath… Or so he thought.

Because the next second, his roommates busted through the front door, making a bee-line for the window, staring out of it, curious looks on their faces.

Chan looked at them, raising an eyebrow. “What the hell are you two doing?”

“The new neighbors are here,” Jisung said, eyes still on the road.

“And?” Chan asked, looking at Changbin for an answer. “Have you seen them? Are they university students? Do they seem loud to you?”

Changbin snorted as he glanced back at the older male. “Hyung, you sound like an old man.” He looked outside again. “And yes, they do seem like university students. They’re all very cute.”

Chan nodded, looking back to his phone. “So, they’re guys?”

“Yes,” Changbin said, his voice betraying how excited he was.

“ _That_ cute, really?”

Jisung turned towards him. “Judge for yourself, hyung! You won’t be disappointed!”

But to that, Chan just shook his head. “No offense, but I don’t feel like stalking my new neighbors as they are _just_ moving in.”

So Jisung shrugged. “Well, your loss then.”

Truth be told, Chan _was_ curious about the new neighbors. But spying on them? Nah, he was just gonna go over there and introduce himself, like a normal damn human.

Sighing, Chan opened the group chat after a few messages came in.

 

> min ❤  
>  gays
> 
> min ❤  
>  moving is so exhausting
> 
> min ❤  
>  i will never do this again
> 
> min ❤  
>  i will live here forever
> 
> You  
>  Your poor neighbors…
> 
> min ❤  
>  WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN
> 
> You  
>  Anyway
> 
> min ❤  
>  any*gay
> 
> You  
>  Shut up
> 
> You  
>  I almost forgot you’re moving today
> 
> You  
>  My new neighbors are moving in today, too lmao
> 
> min ❤  
>  lmaoooo are they pretty boys?
> 
> min ❤  
>  if they are i wanna come over
> 
> You  
>  Haven’t seen them yet…
> 
> You  
>  I will go over later when they’ve settled down a little
> 
> min ❤  
>  wow considerate chan!
> 
> You  
>  yeah you should try it once
> 
> min ❤  
>  lemme think…...
> 
> min ❤  
>  naaaahhh

“Hyung, stop smiling at your phone creepily and look at the cute boys!” Changbin exclaimed, sounding somewhat annoyed.

Chan looked at him, a bit confused at the sudden outburst. “What?”

Changbin just rolled his eyes. “I hate you being single, you spent all your free time on this stupid couch or in your bed when you could get out and get a hot boyfriend,” he gestured out the window. “Like one of those guys!”

Jisung next to him snickered. “Which one would be good for him? The model-looking guy? The one who glares at his phone right now? Or the one with the freckles?”

Immediately Changbin stopped him. “No, freckles is mine.”

Chan snorted at that. “I see how it is.” Changbin glanced at his friend questioningly. “You just want to go on a double date so you can get closer to the one you think is the best-looking, huh?”

“I—“ Changbin started, but he didn’t really need to finish the thought, his cheeks were already colored red, so he turned away from Chan to look out of the window again. “He’s really cute though.”

Sighing, Chan unlocked his phone again. “I don’t need a boyfriend, thank you very much.” As he looked at the group chat, he saw that Minho was typing.

Although he wasn’t really paying attention, he heard Jisung talk to Changbin about one of the guys. “Look at him, he looks so angry while replying.”

The words went through Chan’s head, but he didn’t really acknowledge their meaning, as he stared at the “min ❤ is typing…”

And then the reply came.

 

> min ❤  
>  for fuck’s sake those boys in the apartment next to  
>  ours keep staring at us tf???? that’s so creepy????

Chan wasn’t even done reading when his roommates both squealed and fell to the floor, as if they were caught spying.

“Shit, he saw us, what the fuck?!” Jisung exclaimed, frantically waving his hands in panic.

Changbin tried to calm him down, which proved itself to be a hard task, since he didn’t seem very calm either.

But Chan’s mind was running a hundred miles an hour right now. Three cute boys moving in next door? A _model-looking_ one? One with freckles? And one who was texting? At the same time that Minho was texting with him? Changbin and Jisung stalking them? And Minho being stalked by his neighbors?

An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach and he immediately jumped out of his seat, rushing to the window, only to find the three boys gone.

“Hyung!! Stop! Get away from the window! He’s gonna see you!” Changbin was pulling at his legs.

But Chan just pulled his leg away as he ran to the front door and pulled it open, surprising the three boys who just came up the stairs to enter their own apartment.

All three of them immediately stilled, looking at Chan who only stared at the boy in the front – he’s seen lots and lots of selcas of the guy, he knew what he looked like… Then why did he seem so much prettier in real life?

And it didn’t seem like Minho needed a lot of time to recognize the other either. He released a high pitch scream and scrambled back, the guy behind him – Chan assumed Hyunjin – catching him before they both could tumble down the stairs.

The other male – Felix, probably – frowned at his friend, then he looked at Chan before opening his mouth to speak. “I’m sorry, what is happening here?”

“Uhhh,” Minho said, standing up straight. “We’re living in a fucking drama, I assume?”

Without even really thinking about it, he just mumbled: “Language, Minho.”

Hyunjin and Felix were obviously confused as they looked at each other with big eyes. “Wait—“ Hyunjin exclaimed, putting his hands up, as if to grasp the situation. “You know our neighbor, hyung? Already? We literally _just_ moved in!”

Chan raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean?”

But before Hyunjin could answer, Minho groaned loudly. “That’s Bang Chan, you buffoons, one of the guys I met on twitter? You remember?”

The two gave each other surprised looks and Chan heard surprised gasps behind him. He turned around to glare at his roommates who just shrugged.

“Oh, wait, so the creepy stalkers were Changbin and Jisung?” Minho asked, looking shocked as he studied the two guys.

Hyunjin and Felix also leaned forward to get a good look at the two people in question, so Chan just threw the door open. “So guys, this is Lee Minho,” he said, turning to his roommates who suddenly looked very embarrassed.

It was quiet in the hallway now before Minho cleared his throat. “Anyways—“

Chan raised an eyebrow. “So you only say it over text?”

Minho’s eyes found Chan’s and he crooked his head – Chan was practically dying inside – before asking: “What do you mean?”

“You know, you always correct Woojin and me when we write _anyways_.”

“Oh,” Minho just said, as if remembering his own antics. “You’re right.” He then took a deep breath. “Any _gays_ , I can’t wait to tell Woojin-hyung about this!”

Chan nodded. He still wasn’t quiet grasping the fact that Minho was now his neighbor. Lee Minho. One of his best friends that he met on the internet. His crush. His _crush_ … _Oh god_ …

He didn’t even realize he was spacing out, until a hand moved back and forth in front of his face, making Chan blink in confusion. His eyes focused on Minho, who frowned at him. “You okay, hyung? We kinda lost you there.”

When Chan nodded slowly, Minho flashed a smile – the most beautiful smile Chan has ever seen, mind you – and turned around to his friends. “Hey, guys, do you mind if I spend some time with Chan and we unpack later?”

At the mention of his name Chan raised an eyebrow. “So, you just decide that we’ll hang out now?”

Minho just looked back at him, his face blank, as he said: “Yes,” before turning around again to face Hyunjin and Felix, who both agreed to Minho’s plan. “Good. Hyung, show me your room!”

Before Chan could even say anything, Minho just walked past him, his head up high, a smile on his lips as he bowed to Changbin and Jisung.

Sighing, Chan bowed to Hyunjin and Felix, who bowed back, then he went into his apartment again, closing the door behind him, before following Minho into his room. In the back of his head he questioned how the younger was able to find his room to begin with, but he didn’t really acknowledge the thought, too caught up with ignoring his roommates’ curious glances.

Entering his room, he found Minho by his desk, looking at the pictures that were hung on the wall above it. The younger didn’t even turn around, he just kept watching the photographs. “Your mom is really pretty,” he said, smiling a bit.

For some reason that statement made Chan blush. Maybe because lots of people told him he looked like her? He wasn’t sure, but he willed himself to stop thinking about it. “She is,” he just answered, coming to a halt next to Minho. “I’ll have to find time to visit them soon…”

Minho glanced over at Chan, then he smiled, putting a hand on the elder’s shoulder. “You will. You always have answers for everything.” Before Chan could say anything, Minho’s gaze stopped on the picture he took with Changbin and Jisung shortly after they met for the first time. They were all so young, Chan suddenly felt embarrassed. “Aw, how cute! Little Chan!”

“Yah… How about honorifics, you punk?” Chan asked, gently pushing Minho’s face away, who just giggled in delight, making Chan’s chest feel tight, as if he was suddenly drowning.

“Little Chan-hyung,” he said, smiling at the older. “When was this?”

Chan smiled back at Minho, the tight feeling left to make room for a tingling in his stomach. “I think… it was shortly after I came to Korea, so, like, around 7 years ago?”

Minho made an “ohhh” sound, making Chan smile even wider. “Wow, you’ve known each other for so long…”

“And I still haven’t strangled Jisung, I deserve a medal, really,” Chan said, chuckling despite himself. He really needed a break from the younger. Even more reason to take a trip home. _But then again…_ He glanced to his right, admiring Minho’s sight profile, once again being reminded how much more beautiful the younger is in person than he could’ve ever imagined. _Now that he’s here I don’t want to leave…_

Minho hummed as he turned around to look at the rest of Chan’s room, coming to a stand in front of his bed, looking at it for a while. Before Chan could speak, Minho, once again, beat him to it. “How are you sleeping lately?”

Now this was a change of emotion.

“Uhm,” Chan just said, but that must’ve been enough for Minho, because he sighed, his face suddenly void of the happy smile Chan saw before. “Min…”

But Minho just shook his head before sitting down on the bed, patting the space next to him, inviting Chan to sit down. The older complied, taking the place next to Minho who heaved another sigh before resting his head on Chan’s shoulder. “I’m just worried, you know that, right?”

A smile spread on Chan’s face and he was happy that the younger couldn’t see it. “I know. But I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m not used to it.”

Raising his head, Minho glared at him. “That’s nothing to get used to!” Once again, Chan wanted to reply but Minho was faster, lowering his head to Chan’s shoulder, taking a deep breath before saying, numbly: “You smell good.”

Another blush spread on Chan’s face and he had to clear his throat awkwardly. “Thank you?”

They stayed like this for a few minutes and just when Chan was ready to relax a bit, Minho shut up from his seat, turning to Chan, looking excited. “Let’s call Woojin-hyung! We gotta show him that we’re actually together, if we just send him a text he won’t believe it!” He fished out his phone and jumped unto Chan’s bed – which he actually made in the morning, he was kinda proud of himself, although that was all in vain now after Minho messed the bed up by just jumping on it. Honestly, that was _not_ how Chan wanted him to mess the sheets up and – _oh-oh, nope, not the time to let your thoughts wander there, Chan!_

He didn’t know how long he sat there, letting his thoughts wander freely, but when he felt Minho’s foot nudging his butt, Chan immediately jumped up, mumbling out a “Yeah” before he lay down next to Minho.

They were laying on their stomachs, Minho’s phone already propped up on Chan’s pillows so that they could have a video chat with Woojin. “Okay, get out of the frame, hyung, I’m gonna call him as if you’re not there and then BAMM! SURPRISE!”

Chan flinched at Minho’s loud shout, making the younger giggle. Feigning annoyance, Chan pushed the still laughing Minho away, before he rolled over so that he wouldn’t be seen by Woojin.

When Minho pressed the call button, there was a big grin on his face and Chan couldn’t help but smile as well. He was adorable.

Once Woojin picked up, Minho’s smile grew. “Hyung! I moved in!”

Chan heard Woojin’s surprised voice. “And you’re already chilling? Didn’t you just arrive like half an hour ago? Jesus…”

“Oh, about that…” Minho’s smile turned mischievous. “I am not at my own apartment.”

Confused, Woojin raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that? Did you kill your neighbors and take their apartment?”

“Not quiet, but close!” Minho waved Chan closer, so the Australian rolled over, getting into the space next to Minho, who now shouted: “TA-DAH!”

“Wait—what the hell?” Woojin asked, eyes big as he stared at his own screen.

“Hey, Wooj,” Chan said, waving. “Guess who my new neighbor is!”

But Woojin just shook his head, obviously in shock. “You can’t be fucking serious. _Chan_ , you can’t be serious!”

Chan knew what he was talking about. _Your long-time crush moved in next door!_ is what he wanted to say, but he didn’t, for obvious reasons. “Yeah, well, I am. Minho is my neighbor.”

“Yup!” Minho said, wrapping an arm around Chan’s neck, pulling him closer. “Now I can annoy hyung to death, I’ll get rid of him for you, Woojin-hyung!”

Although Chan was very much flustered, he still wiggled out of the younger’s hold, before pushing him, out of revenge. “I’ll be the one who will kill you first, and we all know it.”

Minho suddenly pouted, rolling himself on top of Chan, clinging onto him. “You could never kill me, you love me too much!”

Sadly, he was very much right. But no way in hell Chan was gonna admit that. “Right, I just _love_ annoying little shits who throw themselves on top of me without a single care in the world…”

“I knew it!” Minho said, obviously ignoring the sarcasm in Chan’s voice. “But now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the toilet.” He got up and stumbled to the door. Before Chan could direct him to the washroom, Minho said: “I’m gonna ask Jisung or Changbin where it is!”

With that, he was gone and Chan sighed deeply, turning back to Woojin, who looked at him, empathy clear in his eyes. “I’m gonna die, man…”

“Okay, but seriously, what are the odds? Your crush moves in next door? This shit only happens in dramas, what the hell happened?”

Chan, once again, just sighed, shaking his head. “Fate fucking hates me.”

Woojin hummed. “Or maybe, fate is fucking sick of the two of you, not getting shit done.”

“What does that even mean,” Chan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What I’m saying is,” Woojin explained, settling down in his own bed comfortably, before clearing his throat. “I might not know whether or not Minho reciprocates your feelings, but what I know is that you’ve been crushing on him for months now and although we all keep talking about _meeting up one day_ , it had never happened, and, to be completely honest, it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Like, I was tired of you whining to me about how pretty Minho is and—“

Chan didn’t mean to interrupt Woojin, he really didn’t, but he couldn’t stop the words tumbling out of his mouth. “He is _so fucking pretty_ , hyung! You have no idea. Like, I thought he was good-looking on selcas and stuff? But, _holyholy shit_ , throw me out of a window, he’s so much more beautiful in person, I can’t believe someone like him exists, is gay _and_ single, actually talks to me and calls himself my friend, it’s so obscure—“

Suddenly Woojin released a loud groan, startling Chan a little. “Please stop, I can’t listen to that anymore. Can’t you tell that to someone else? _Him_ for example?”

“I’d rather die.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Woojin scolded.

Chan rolled his eyes. “I could never tell him though. He doesn’t feel the same way. It would make things awkward, I don’t need that, especially not now when I can actually touch him. His skin is _so soft_ , Woojin-ah, I want to _cry_ —“

This time it wasn’t Woojin interrupting him, but Minho’s loud laugh from outside his room that made Chan stop breathing for a second… _He didn’t hear… right?_

But then Minho came in, still laughing loudly, throwing the door shut before jumping onto the bed again, reclaiming his place next to Chan. “Jisung is so funny, what a dork,” Minho said, breathless from laughing so much.

Chan released the breath he was holding and rolled his eyes. “He’s a handful. I think he’s even more exhausting than you are.”

Minho gasped at that, before turning to Woojin again. “Can you believe he just said that, hyung? _Me? Exhausting?_ ”

They kept talking about nothing in particular for a few more minutes before Woojin had to go prepare lunch for his brother and cousin, so Minho decided to leave as well to get stuff done.

Chan brought him to the door, watching as Minho entered his own apartment. He was gonna turn around and go into his own home, when Minho called out his name. Glancing at the younger, Chan cocked his head to the side, questioningly.

“Let’s hang out soon, yeah? And sleep well tonight. If you need anything, you know where to find me, right?”

Taken aback, Chan just nodded. Minho flashed him a last smile before he closed the door behind himself, disappearing in his own apartment.

Chan’s heart pounded quickly, all of a sudden.

Lee Minho was his neighbor. He was going to see him every day from now on.

And he wondered: _is this heaven or hell?_


End file.
